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Hymnal Recommendation?

Come the summer of '07 I will be leaving Lutheranism for the greener and more biblical pastures of Reformed theology. About 15 people (maybe a bit more) will be joining me. Though we have met several times, come January 8th we will begin to thrash out some practical issues. And this brings me to my question.

Though I have a preference for exclusive psalmody, it's more aesthetic than theological. Having spoken with everyone else, they are *completely* in favor of inclusive psalmody - which will use traditional hymnody and a keyboard.

Do you all have any recommendations? Any particular hymn book that you have in mind? If so, is there a keyboardist's edition that would also need to be purchased?

The Trinity Hymnal (old or revised ed.s) avail. from Great Commissions Publications (gcp.org)

Contains a wide selection of hymns and Psalms, organized and coordinated to the Westminster Standards. Hymnal can be used to play from, but an accompanist edition is available as well (at least for the revised edition).

For ALL the Psalms, supplement with the Trinity Psalter (mentioned above). This is a words-only Psalter, but an accompanist book with music is available.

This doesn't quite answer his question. He was asking about a hymnal, not exclusively a psalter. So why the can of worms? I don't think he wanted to debate the subject. If you don't know of any hymnals to recommend . . . ?

The Trinity Hymnal (old or revised ed.s) avail. from Great Commissions Publications (gcp.org)

I particularly like the old/blue Trinity Hymnal -- my wife and I use it almost exclusively for family worship (with a good selection of Psalms and God-honoring hymns). Otherwise, the new Trinity Hymnal is good, too. But, I don't think it's as good as the old one. The new one has less Psalms and more hymns that may not be appropriate for public worship (personal opinion!). The new one also, for some reason, lacks the Ten Commandments!

I was funnin. The can of worms was a joke. There was no intent on debate. It's just noticable that any mention of "hymn" or "psalms" brings up the can o worms.

Seriously though the only Presby one I am familiar with is the Trinity Hymnal...but I can't hardly sing from it...and not because of any hymn vs psalm issue, simply the music is difficult having come from a baptist background. The psalters (am familiar with two of them) have been easier to pick up on.

Seriously though the only Presby one I am familiar with is the Trinity Hymnal...but I can't hardly sing from it...and not because of any hymn vs psalm issue, simply the music is difficult having come from a baptist background. The psalters (am familiar with two of them) have been easier to pick up on.

You aren't serious! I find many of the tunes in the Book of Psalms for Singing almost impossible to sing, and I have a 4-year music degree! Incidentally, what does a so-called "Baptist" background have to do with the difficulty of the music?

I honestly have no idea why. On the baptist thing...well the tunes are very different. The Psalter we started with was the Book of Psalms for Singing and there are many tunes in there that were either familiar (from hymns we had in the baptist churches) or just flowed smoother.

I honestly have no idea why. On the baptist thing...well the tunes are very different. The Psalter we started with was the Book of Psalms for Singing and there are many tunes in there that were either familiar (from hymns we had in the baptist churches) or just flowed smoother.

Maybe what the church really needs is a hymnal that comes with either bagpipe or accordion accompaniments. Now, that would be...uh...distinctive!

The Trinity Hymnal (old or revised ed.s) avail. from Great Commissions Publications (gcp.org)

Contains a wide selection of hymns and Psalms, organized and coordinated to the Westminster Standards. Hymnal can be used to play from, but an accompanist edition is available as well (at least for the revised edition).

For ALL the Psalms, supplement with the Trinity Psalter (mentioned above). This is a words-only Psalter, but an accompanist book with music is available.

My family uses the Trinity Hymnal and Psalter for both church and during family worship.

Our congregation currently uses the Episcopal Church's 1940 hymnal. However, I would have to go with the recommendation of the Trinity Hymnal. At a previous (Reformed Baptist) congregation we used the revised version. Both my wife and I have fond memories of singing from it.

I am actually looking at using the original version for family worship.

It might also be worth having a metrical psalter. If you are after a Scottish Psalter, I recommend the Comprehensive Psalter published by Blue Banner. This not only has the words but also music. plus at $15 it is a great deal!

For those who don't want a Psalter; I am impressed with the new [probably tens years old now] hymnal used by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Not only does it have singable translation/versions of the historic German Lutheran hymns it also has a good useable partial Psalter.

Much that has been done under the guise of liturgical reform in Lutheran and Anglican/Episcopal Churches in the last fifty years has been nothing short of apostacy. The new liturgical forms in the front of this hymnal are orthodox. It includes a good new translation of the Athanasian Creed.

Seriously though the only Presby one I am familiar with is the Trinity Hymnal...but I can't hardly sing from it...and not because of any hymn vs psalm issue, simply the music is difficult having come from a baptist background. The psalters (am familiar with two of them) have been easier to pick up on.

I have a hard time singing a lot of the hymns in the Trinity Hymnal, as well, and it's all I've ever sung from! I just find a lot of the melodies to not be very voice-friendly at all. They're clunky and uninspiring. When we come to one of those that I can hardly sing, I just shut up and read the words and meditate on them.

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